CVE-2023-53244
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-09-15
Last updated on: 2025-12-03
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | to 5.15.113 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.30 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.2 (inc) to 6.3.4 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-476 | The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a null pointer dereference bug in the Linux kernel's tw68 media PCI driver. When the driver tries to prepare a buffer using the function tw68_risc_buffer(), the call to dma_alloc_coherent may fail, resulting in an empty buffer (buf->cpu is null). Later, when the driver frees or accesses this buffer, it triggers a null pointer dereference, which can cause a crash or other unintended behavior. The issue can potentially be triggered dynamically from the user side. The fix involves checking the return value of tw68_risc_buffer() and verifying buf->cpu before freeing the buffer.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can cause the Linux kernel to crash or behave unexpectedly due to a null pointer dereference in the tw68 driver. This may lead to denial of service or system instability if exploited, potentially affecting system availability.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Update the Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix for the tw68 driver null pointer dereference bug. The fix involves checking the return value of tw68_risc_buffer() and the value of buf->cpu before freeing the buffer, preventing the null pointer dereference. Until the update is applied, avoid using the affected tw68 driver to prevent triggering the bug.